


quite real

by that_one_ayu



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Implied Lams, Implied jeffmads, Shootouts, dont kill me please, im sorry, laf and herc are engaged, mullette, nb!lafayette, or WERE engaged, race-driven shootouts, san antonio bc i was just there, this never actually happened calm down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 11:33:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15095864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_one_ayu/pseuds/that_one_ayu
Summary: “I love you. I love you more than anything, anything in the world, please know that. Please. I love you. I love you.”





	quite real

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize in advance for this.

Hercules felt Lafayette pull him down by his arm.

 

He started to protest, as when he’d descended he’d scraped his knee and he didn’t understand the reason for this. The other had yanked him under the counter of a sales booth, and said nothing. 

 

His fiance interrupted his inquiry by putting a hand over Hercules’ mouth, shaking their head ever so slightly with wide eyes. 

 

Hercules was startled by this aberration in Lafayette’s behaviour. He fell silent, as that was obviously what he was currently expected to do, and listened. The San Antonio marketplace, which had been alive with chatter just moments before, was held captive by a frightening silence. 

 

A silence which was momentarily broken by a brief scream and two gunshots. 

 

Hercules felt himself jump. If you knew him at all, you knew that he wasn’t one to panic, but at the current moment he could feel his lungs seized by fear as he started to piece together what was happening. Neither one of them seemed to notice that Lafayette’s hand was still clamped over Herc’s mouth, but even so, it may have been for the best. Hercules didn’t trust himself not to let out a yelp at every tiny sound.

 

The only sounds that followed after the gunshots were four pairs of heavy footsteps. Whoever was shooting didn’t seem to care about the others hearing them, but even so, they didn’t speak to one another or shout anything to the civilians in hiding. Or civilians who’d been shot. 

 

He felt a hopeless chill run through his entire body when he heard another shot, followed by one of his friends’ despairing voice. This was insane. This was impossible. They’d split up just a minute ago, never expecting something like this to happen. It hurt even more now that he knew that his friends weren’t safe. None of them were safe.

 

He realized that this was really happening when he heard Eliza’s shrill sob reverberate off of the stone walls.

 

_ “Angelica!” _

 

It was quite real. 

 

They’d come here with John, Alexander, Thomas, James, Maria, and the Schuyler sisters, because it had been a sort of unofficial engagement celebration for Herc and Laf, and those were the people who’d showed up. A few minutes ago they’d split up, because they couldn’t decide on which area to explore. Suddenly Hercules felt responsible, because this trip had been his idea in this first place.

 

Could it really be his fault that his friends might die?

 

As the footsteps gradually made their way in the pair’s direction, they heard three more gunshots, spread out over the course of about two minutes. At one point they heard a new pair of footsteps, running, but that was quickly followed by a  _ bang _ just as loud as the others that rang throughout the quiet space.

 

Hercules felt his own eyes close in a strange sense of defeat, as if he was about to be wiped out in a video game. ‘ Okay, game over, I give up. Just let me try again. ‘ Deep down he knew there would be no ‘trying again’. He nearly sobbed when he felt Lafayette’s trembling form press up against him, because it only reminded him of his fiance’s presence. Who was he to be worried about himself when his only promise in life was to protect this person with everything he had? Who was he if he let anything happen to them?

 

These sorts of thoughts ran through his head faster and faster as the figures approached. Hercules was holding his breath, and he knew Lafayette was too, since anything could be heard in the silence. Time stood still.

 

“Under there,” they heard a voice mutter.

 

At that moment Hercules pulled Laf’s hand down from his mouth so he could whisper in their ear, trying to keep his words from shaking too much.

 

_ “I love you. I love you more than anything, anything in the world, please know that. Please. I love you. I love you.” _

 

Lafayette was shaking their head insistently, protesting quietly as Herc moved to secure them in the corner, blocking them with his body. Laf trembled as they whispered back frantically.

 

_ “Non, non, mi amor-  _ _ S'il vous plaît- je t'aime, s'il te plaît ne fais pas-” _

 

Hercules didn’t say anything else. He just kissed Laf quickly, then squeezed their hand as he turned to face the outside.

 

The curtain concealing them was pulled aside to reveal a scowling face, which they only saw for a few moments before two deafening gunshots rang. 

 

\---

 

“Chuck Cowan, Ted Nikirk, and their friends Jerome and Kyle Brass were caught by the police on Wednesday, June 27 in San Antonio’s Market Square. They went down seemingly satisfied, with no fight against authorities. All four are racist offenders whose apparent goal on the afternoon of the shooting was to eliminate as many colored- black, mexican, etcetera- civilians as possible before being caught. Witness Whitney Smith had called the police after finding a secure hiding spot. Here’s her side of the sto-”

 

The television clicked off. Lafayette turned to look at John, who looked distraught. They spoke quietly.

 

“How are you doing, mon ami?” they murmured.

 

“Fine,” came John’s forced response. “They’re saying Alex will be okay. I’m just- still a little shaken, you know?”

 

“I understand.” Lafayette got out of bed to go sit on the small couch beside their friend. They spoke softly. “Trust me, I do.”

 

“Don’t worry about me. James is the one who needs someone to talk to. He’s been sitting in Thomas’ old room for hours and the doctors can’t get him to come out.”

 

“Yeah..”

 

They sat in silence for a few moments before John spoke. “You should get back in bed.”

 

“It’ll be okay. It’s almost healed, anyway,” Laf responded, glancing down on the patched gunshot wound on their shoulder. Then they looked at the IV line in their arm. “I don’t even know why they’re still giving me this.”

 

“Still. You’re only fine when they discharge you.”

 

“Well, if you insist.” Honestly, Laf was complying because they were exhausted. They settled back in the hospital bed, relaxing for a moment before hearing John speak one more time.

 

“I want to watch it. The news.”

 

Lafayette turned their head to look at the other with inquiry, but after getting no response they hesitantly powered the television back on. The witness interview was just ending.

 

“Thank you, Whitney. It’s good to hear the story from a witness perspective,” they heard the reporter say. The camera turned away from the witness and back to her. “So many families are grieving for ones they’ve lost on this past Wednesday. This Monday, on July second, a vigil will be held in market square to remember the victims who lost their lives. Come honor the eight people we lost; Willa Smith, Alexis Morgan, Hendrix Moen, Thomas Jefferson, Angelica Schuyler, Chelsea Wright, Hercules Mulligan, and Taylor Garrett at the vigil with us, and make sure they aren’t forgotten.”

 

This time Lafayette had to turn the TV off for their own reasons. Each name that they recognized in that list was a dagger through their chest, and they’d rather not think about the grief they’d have to carry for the rest of their life. They tossed the remote aside and put their head in their hands; there hadn’t been a moment’s preparation for the sobs that forced their way from their throat.

 

This was quite real.

**Author's Note:**

> please don't come at me with torches and pitchforks


End file.
